SinodosChemistry

Polymers have been mostly produced from petrochemicals since their discovery. Petrochemicals, due to their large production offered a wide base for uncounted polymers. However, one great disadvantage of petrochemical based polymers is that they are most commonly non degradable and non bio degradable. Such an attribute makes their continuous use impossible due to pollution effects. Such known pollution effects come from everyday objects such as polyester cups, plates and others, contributing to the phenomenon termed 'white pollution'. Numerous research works have been devoted to producing bio degradble polymers or proper techniques to degrade such non degradable polymers. Such techniques involve, but are not limited to photo- oxidation, thermal degradation, catalytic degradation, and others.

Green polymers on the other hand come from natural sources in great quantities. All polymers deriving from natural sources are 100% biodegradable thus non contributing to earth's pollution. Great polymeric precursors are starch, banana peels, fruit pits, and in general all biomass related material. Several organizations have invested in the production of biomass in large quantities and the subsequent production of a vast range of polymers. As one of those pioneers stated 'as long as the planet exists, banana trees will also exist'.

 

Green polymers are expected to dominate the polymer production in the decades to come. Lets just hope that the transition will be in time, and irreversible damage to the world's healt will not have occured.